Ice Hockey
Emma Maltais: Playing for the Love of the Game
From backyard rinks to hockey’s highest levels, Canadian hockey player Emma Maltais’ journey has always been driven by passion, purpose, and people.
When you ask Emma Maltais how or when she first fell in love with hockey, she smiles and shrugs a little. One little taste was all it took. “I first started skating around two years old,” she said with a hint of nostalgia. “I would go skate with my brother on the backyard rink my dad built, and right away I loved it.”
Growing up in Burlington, Ontario, hockey was woven into daily life. Winters were spent outdoors whenever possible, layered up against the cold, sticks in hand. Her dad built a small rink beside the driveway, a simple patch of ice that became the centre of everything. Emma was barely walking before she was skating, chasing her older brother around, learning without realizing she was learning.
Those days weren’t structured and there were no drills or expectations. Hockey was about being together and staying out a little too long, rooted in joy and family. “I just loved it right away,” she says. “I didn’t need to be pushed. I just wanted to be on the ice.”
Emma Maltais at a Red Bull Canada Photoshoot
© Mark Blinch
The arena became her second home. She remembers spending entire days there, watching her brother play, running around with friends in the stands and playing manhunt throughout the hallways. It wasn’t about dreaming of the Olympics or wearing the Maple Leaf one day. It was about belonging.
“I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be at the rink,” she says. “That’s where I felt the most comfortable.”
That feeling, that ease, would become the constant thread through everything that followed.
01
Chasing Challenge, Not Expectations
As Emma got older, it became clear she had something special. Her speed separated her early and her work ethic followed close behind. When she started dominating girls’ leagues, coaches tried to slow things down by moving her to defence.
Instead, it only highlighted her instincts.
That’s when her parents made a decision that would quietly shape her entire career. They moved her into boys hockey, not because they were planning ahead, but because they wanted her to stay challenged. “I’ve always loved when things are hard,” Emma says. “That’s when I enjoy hockey the most.”
I’ve always loved when things are hard. That’s when I enjoy hockey the most
She didn’t think about what it meant to be one of the only girls on the ice and she didn’t think about what doors it might open later. She just knew that competing against faster, stronger players forced her to think quicker, work harder, and earn everything.
Looking back, she recognizes how important that was.
“I think that’s where I learned to compete. You can’t take a shift off. You can’t cheat the game.” When you ask if she ever imagined where hockey could take her at that age, she shakes her head. “Not really,” she says. “I just wanted to keep playing.”
Then, in grade 7, something unexpected happened. A letter arrived from a university in the United States. Emma didn’t recognize the school’s name, but she remembers googling it, confused more than excited.
“I didn’t really understand what it meant,” she laughs. More letters followed. Then came exposure camps, conversations with coaches, and the realization that hockey could be more than just something she loved.
“That was probably the first time I thought, 'okay, this could actually open doors.'”
02
Becoming a Buckeye
When the conversation turns to Ohio State, Emma’s voice shifts. There’s confidence there, but also gratitude.
She committed early, at a time when the Buckeyes weren’t yet a national powerhouse. Coaching changes made the decision uncertain and some people questioned why she would lock in so soon.
But Emma didn’t need convincing.
“I didn’t have this big list of pros and cons,” she said confidently. “I just had a feeling.” And her first visit sealed it. Everything from the campus to the overall atmosphere created a sense that something was being built rather than inherited, saying, “I liked the idea of growing with a program, of building it together.”
Ohio State became the foundation of her identity as a player. She earned big minutes early, developed into one of the most dynamic forwards in the NCAA, and quickly became known for her speed, puck pursuit, and relentless energy.
Over four seasons, she earned All-American honours, set school records including a 59-point campaign, and helped lead the Buckeyes to four consecutive Frozen Four appearances, along with the program’s first WCHA Championship and regular season title.
But when you ask what she remembers most, she doesn’t start with the numbers. She talks about people. “I built some of my best friendships there. Those girls are family.”
Living, training, and competing alongside the same group day after day created a bond that went far beyond the rink. They grew up together. They shared the grind and the joy in equal measure.
There were days that were really hard, but we went through everything together
“There were days that were really hard, but we went through everything together,” Emma says.
That closeness shaped her understanding of team culture and what it means to truly belong. The locker room became a safe space and a place where she learned how powerful trust and connection could be.
The program demanded discipline, as practices were intense and standards were non-negotiable. “Our coach was tough on us,” she says. “But it taught me how to be consistent, how to show up every day, not just when it’s easy. We were underdogs, and I loved that.”
By the time Emma left Columbus, Ohio State had transformed into a national contender. And so had she.
Those four years didn’t just prepare her for professional hockey and the national team. They taught her how to lead and how much better the game feels when it’s shared.
Lessons she still carries with her every time she steps on the ice.
Emma Maltais at a Red Bull Canada Photoshoot
© Mark Blinch
03
Knocking on the Door of the National Team
For all her success at Ohio State, the idea of the national team still felt distant.
Emma had worn the Maple Leaf at the U18 and development levels, but the senior team felt like a different world entirely. “I remember going to my first senior camp and thinking, there’s no way,” she says. “They were just so good.”
For a long time, she questioned whether her game would translate. “I honestly didn’t think I was good enough,” she admits. Still, she kept learning and kept pushing herself into uncomfortable spaces. “There was one camp where it finally clicked. I felt like I could actually play my game.”
When the centralization calls were scheduled, the nerves hit hard. Emma sat in her Ohio State coach’s office, phone face down, barely able to focus. When it rang and she heard the news, the emotion came instantly.
“I just started crying,” she says. “That was my biggest goal. Just to be considered.”
Centralization led to selection and selection led to Beijing. And suddenly, the dream she once thought might be out of reach was unfolding in real time.
I had chills. I remember thinking, "this is why you do it"
Winning gold in Beijing remains one of the defining achievements of her career. But when you ask Emma if there was ever a true “I made it” moment, she doesn’t point to the podium.
“The Opening Ceremonies,” she says without hesitation. Walking into the stadium, wearing Canadian gear, surrounded by the best athletes in the world, something shifted for her.
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“That’s when it really hit me,” she reflected. “You grow up watching that on TV. And all of a sudden, you’re part of it.” She remembers looking around at her teammates, seeing the flag, and feeling the weight of what it meant to be there.
Since then, Emma has become a trusted presence on the national team, helping Canada capture multiple World Championship gold medals and earning a reputation as a player who thrives in high-pressure moments.
One of the most meaningful came at home at the 2021 World Championships in Calgary. Standing on the blue line during the national anthem she felt the weight of it all, but in the best possible way. “I had chills,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘this is why you do it.’”
It was a full-circle moment. From driveway rinks to sold-out arenas. From loving the game as a kid to representing an entire country.
04
Playing Because She Loves It
Now a professional with the Toronto Sceptres in the PWHL, Emma is part of a new chapter for women’s hockey in Canada and beyond. A league built on belief, opportunity, and visibility. But if you ask her what still drives her, the answer is simple. “I play because I love it,” she says. “That’s it.”
As the road to the world’s biggest sporting stage draws closer, Emma isn’t chasing validation or legacy. She’s still that kid from Burlington who just wanted to be on the ice.
And that’s exactly why she belongs on the world’s biggest stage.
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Emma Maltais at a Red Bull Canada Photoshoot
© Mark Blinch